Kilcrohan pub saved from closing by Welsh woman.
April 9, 2007I went down to Kilcrohan music/trad/whatever festival on the glorious Easter Sunday(Killcrohan is at the end of the narrow peninsula at the end of Cork, near Kerry). The spin down Sheeps head is a stunner, I nearly pissed myself with excitement it was so glorious.
When I got to Kilcrohan there was 2 pubs and outside the main one there was a man playing Elton John coversongs with a synthisizer. This was quite funny, in an ironic kind of way. Then I wondered where the trad. music was and bumped into a very nice man who hails from Connemara in Galway. Marcus Naughtan was his name and he tells me he his family line is directly descended from a Pharoh in Egypt (Connected with Scotia, daughter of an Egyptian king who came to Ireland with the Milesians many years ago.Don’t you know?) Anyway, Marcus tells me that If I want to see real trad I should walk out a mile to an old pub called the White house.
I give him a spin to it, and to be sure there is a good session on the go. However, I soon realised that nearly everyone in the bar was English. They all live in the surrounds. It dawns on me that the Irish are all up listening to Elton John covers and the English (hippy types) are enjoying the Irish music. Quite bizarre. Marcus tells me that the English hippies actually have more interest which is oddly disturbing. But good on them I suppose. (One of the only genuine Irish old locals had cycled seven miles for his one glass of wine before cycling back.)
The pub is now leased to a Welsh woman who hasn’t changed a thing. All the old photos of the (long gone) locals are still on the walls and there is a fine pint of Murphy’s (She keeps the keg right under the counter.) Well worth checking out.
[ youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejbkpeYSubc ]
Ahoy Captain Pinty,
Looks like a nice place, would have liked to have been there. I know this Kerry poet by the name of James and he travels to all the festivals around the country. He was there last weekend too in Kilcrohan; the last time I had seen him was in Miltown Malbay for the Willy Clancy Festival. Anyway, he gave me a tip. There’s dozens of great music, poetry, cattle, courting festivals around the country every summer and to find out when and where they’re on get a copy of the events calendar available at all Credit Unions. I’ll be taking in a few festivals myself this year during the summer when I cycle around the country.
By the way, I tried that You Tube link above but it doesn’t work. Have you got it listed correctly?
That’s a good tip alright. The video doesn’t work yet, nothing really does yet. I have to learn the ropes with all de technical shtuff. Pity I missed James. That cycle trip sounds like the business.
What a pub,
Fantastic weekend……….had by all ……adults children and funny enough the dogs had a laugh! Definately coming back to ceol on the coast next year The only pub with trad music…….an atmosphere and friendly people behind the bar who had no problem with anyone! There will be twice as many people there next year when they hear this pub is opened again…….GARUNTEED